Friday, Feb. 17, 2006
Contact: Spence Jackson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Announces Plans to Combat Cattle Rustlers
Missourians Urged to Call 1-866-362-6422 with Information on Recent String of Thefts
SPRINGFIELD–Gov. Matt Blunt today announced a state and local partnership effort to combat a recent string of cattle thefts across Southwest and Central Missouri that have resulted in significant financial losses for family farmers.
“Missouri has had at least 82 reported incidents involving the theft of hundreds of cattle, cattle trailers, vehicles and farm equipment this year,” Blunt said. “The partnership I am announcing between state and local law enforcement and agricultural associations will help bring attention to these crimes and hopefully bring the offenders to justice. Missouri has long been a proud agricultural state and we simply will not tolerate these crimes against honest, law-abiding citizens.”
Blunt was joined today at Pinegar Farms north of Springfield by members of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Highway Patrol, local law enforcement, local farmers and agriculture commodity groups to outline his proposals.
Chief among them is the implementation of the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) that Missourians can report suspicious activity around cattle farms or share information possibly related to cattle thefts by phoning 1-866-362-MIAC (6422). In addition to sharing information with MIAC, Blunt also encouraged citizens to contact their local law enforcement agencies as well.
Blunt announced that he would seek legislative action this session that would stiffen the penalty for livestock theft from a Class D to a Class C felony.
Blunt said the Missouri Department of Agriculture will be conducting seminars and providing assistance to the Highway Patrol to brief them on questions to ask when they come into contact with individuals who claim to be cattle producers, farmers or ranchers.
Both departments as well as state and local law enforcement are encouraging local groups to help raise awareness of the crimes to report suspicious activity by paying special attention to trucks with trailers that are usually not in the area, unusual vehicles or traffic patterns and unusual nighttime cattle loading or shipping.
As requested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Cattleman’s Association and the Missouri Livestock Marketing Association are recommending that livestock auction markets across the state ask that voluntary producer photo ID’s be filed to help ensure that honest businesspeople are buying, selling and transporting cattle.
Blunt directed the Departments of Public Safety and Agriculture and the Highway Patrol to meet with local law enforcement officials after a wave of cattle thefts were reported in January. Today’s announcement is a result of their cooperation.
According to the Missouri Beef Industry Council, Missouri:
- Is the second leading state (behind Texas) in the number of beef cows with 2.16 million
- Ranks sixth among all states in total number of cattle with 4.45 million
- Has approximately 68,000 farms with beef or dairy cattle
- Has beef cattle and calves sales totaling nearly $1 billion
- Has approximately 12 million acres of pasture land
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